Questions

694. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Schools Procurement Unit has conducted any audit, compliance review or governance assessment concerning the composition of tender evaluation teams used by schools under the Hot School Meals Scheme; whether any external firms were identified as participating in evaluations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37401/26]

695. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether actual food quality, taste, nutritional standard, presentation or meal sampling forms part of the formally weighted evaluation criteria under the current Hot School Meals procurement framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37402/26]

696. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Schools Procurement Unit intends to introduce a mandatory and formally weighted food quality assessment component within future Hot School Meals tender evaluations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37403/26]

697. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has conducted any assessment of whether the current hot school meals procurement framework disproportionately favours suppliers with sophisticated written tender submissions over suppliers providing higher-quality food; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37406/26]

698. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any legal advice has been sought by his Department, the schools procurement unit or the Office of Government Procurement regarding the legal implications of suppliers offering gifts, promotional items or undeclared service add-ons during active hot school meals procurement competitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37407/26]

699. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether consideration has been given to establishing a confidential reporting mechanism for suppliers, school staff or parents to report suspected procurement irregularities under the hot school meals scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37409/26]

700. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps he intends to take to ensure the integrity of the hot school meals procurement process; to ensure compliance with public procurement law and anti-corruption obligations; and to ensure that contracts are awarded on the basis of genuine food quality, nutritional standards and service delivery rather than administrative capability, documentation …

701. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has examined the administrative and financial costs associated with the annual continuation process for child benefit payments for children aged 16 to 19 who remain in full-time education; whether consideration is being given to streamlining or simplifying this process in light of current school retention rates; and if he will …

702. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of additional staff employed or who will be employed by his Department directly or under contract for the purposes of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026. [37460/26]

703. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection to reinstate the disability allowance payment of a person (details supplied). [37638/26]

704. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to increase the living alone allowance in the upcoming Budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37714/26]

705. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of volunteers registered with the citizens information centres before September 2022 and for each year after September 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37715/26]

706. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the efforts made by the Citizen Information Board to recruit and train new volunteers to the Citizen Information Centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37716/26]

707. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); if he will advise on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37725/26]

708. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the eligibility criteria for disability allowance with regard to the current means test where a partner's or spouse's means is also taken into account, and only assess the disabled person in their own right, giving them independence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37735/26]

709. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to clarify if an individual resident in Ireland on stamp 1 permission becomes incapacitated due to illness is eligible to apply for disability allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37737/26]

710. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports available for programmes such as the New Futures Initiative, which assists lone parents in progressing to long-term education, training and employment opportunities; whether consideration will be given to continue funding supports for such programmes in light of reported progression rates of approximately 75% for participants; and if …

711. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department has formally consulted with the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) regarding the structural framework required to establish an independent conveyancing profession as recommended by the CCPC; the measures being taken to overcome the implementation challenges previously cited by the LSRA; and if he will make a…

712. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether he has raised, or intends to raise, with the British Government any concerns regarding temporary visa arrangements associated with the Ireland cricket matches in Northern Ireland this summer against India and Afghanistan, particularly in relation to immigration compliance, visitor overstays, and cross-border movement into the …

713. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he anticipates any changes to the two-year time limit for the initiation of a medical negligence claim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36520/26]

714. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if a person applying for international protection must include details of any transmissible diseases they may be living with, such as HIV, or tuberculosis, in their application for international protection status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36548/26]

715. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of instances from 2019 to date where a person applying for international protection has included details on of any transmissible diseases they may have been living with or were being treated for, such as HIV, or tuberculosis, in their application for international protection status; and if he will make a statement on the mat…

716. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide a list, by county, of named solicitors who are currently on criminal legal aid panels, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36596/26]

717. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the amount expended in respect of overtime to Gardaí to provide security at Shannon Airport in 2026, 2025 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36626/26]

718. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for an update on a person's citizenship application (details supplied); and when it is expected that a decision will be made on their application. [36649/26]